Airworthiness Directives; Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH Models TAE 125-02-99 and TAE 125-02-114 Reciprocating Engines

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 23, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9963-9965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3917]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2010-0892; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-32-AD; 
Amendment 39-16615; AD 2011-05-06]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH Models 
TAE 125-02-99 and TAE 125-02-114 Reciprocating Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the 
products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing 
airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of 
another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an 
aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

    Service experience has shown that fracture of the timing chain 
has occurred due to chain wear. This condition, if not corrected, 
could lead to in-flight cases of engine shutdown.

We are issuing this AD to prevent engine in-flight shutdown leading to 
loss of control of the airplane by requiring life limits for the timing 
chain.

DATES: This AD becomes effective March 30, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The Docket Operations office is located at Docket Management 
Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-
0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Strom, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
[email protected]; telephone (781) 238-7143; fax (781) 238-7199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion

    We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 
part 39 to include an AD that would apply to the specified products. 
That NPRM was published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2010 (75 
FR 66342). That NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    Service experience has shown that fracture of the timing chain 
has occurred due to chain

[[Page 9964]]

wear. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to in-flight 
cases of engine shutdown.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. We received no comments on the NPRM.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety and 
the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

    Based on the service information, we estimate that this AD will 
affect about 112 engines installed on airplanes of U.S. registry. We 
also estimate that it will take about 8 work-hours per product to 
comply with this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. 
Required parts will cost about $162 per engine. Based on these figures, 
we estimate the cost of the AD on U.S. operators to be $94,304.

Authority for This Rulemaking

    Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to 
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the 
authority of the FAA Administrator. ``Subtitle VII: Aviation 
Programs,'' describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's 
authority.
    We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in 
``Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General 
requirements.'' Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with 
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing 
regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator 
finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within 
the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition 
that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this 
rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    We determined that this AD will not have federalism implications 
under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct 
effect on the States, on the relationship between the national 
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify this AD:
    1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 
12866;
    2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and
    3. Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or 
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, 
any comments received, and other information. The street address for 
the Docket Operations office (phone (800) 647-5527) is provided in the 
ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly 
after receipt.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.


Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

2011-05-06 Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH: Amendment 39-16615. 
Docket No. FAA-2010-0892; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-32-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective March 
30, 2011.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH models TAE 
125-02-99 and TAE 125-02-114 reciprocating engines installed in, but 
not limited to, Cessna 172 and (Reims-built) F172 series (European 
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) 
No. EASA.A.S.01527); Piper PA-28 series (EASA STC No. EASA.A.S. 
01632); APEX (Robin) DR 400 series (EASA STC No. A.S.01380); and 
Diamond Aircraft Industries Models DA 40, DA 42, and DA 42M NG 
airplanes.

Reason

    (d) This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another 
country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation 
product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:
    Service experience has shown that fracture of the timing chain 
has occurred due to chain wear. This condition, if not corrected, 
could lead to in-flight cases of engine shutdown.
    We are issuing this AD to prevent engine in-flight shutdown 
leading to loss of control of the airplane by requiring life limits 
for the timing chain.

Actions and Compliance

    (e) Unless already done, do the following actions.

Initial Replacement of Timing Chain

    (1) For engines with serial numbers (S/Ns) listed in Table 1 of 
this AD, replace the timing chain within 600 flight hours-since-new, 
or no later than 55 flight hours after the effective date of this 
AD, whichever occurs later.

  Table 1--S/Ns of Engines Affected by the Compliance Time in Paragraph
                            (e)(1) of This AD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
02-02-01510 to 02-02-01514 inclusive
02-02-01518 to 02-02-01520 inclusive
02-02-01529
02-02-01717
02-02-01718
02-02-01720
02-02-01721
02-02-01727
02-02-01728
02-02-01730 to 02-02-01733 inclusive
02-02-01739 to 02-02-01752 inclusive
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) For engines with S/Ns not listed in Table 1 of this AD, 
replace the timing chain within 910 flight hours-since-new, or no 
later than 55 flight hours after the effective date of this AD, 
whichever occurs later.

Repetitive Replacements of Timing Chains for All TAE 125-02-99 and TAE 
125-02-114 Engines

    (3) Thereafter, for all TAE 125-02-99 and TAE 125-02-114 
engines, repetitively replace the timing chain within every 
additional 910 flight hours.
    (4) Guidance on replacing the timing chain can be found in 
Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH Service Bulletin No. TM TAE 125-1010 
P1, Revision 2, dated May 26, 2010.

FAA AD Differences

    (f) This AD differs from the MCAI and/or service information, 
which require initial replacement of the timing chain for the 
engines listed in paragraph (e)(1) above within either the next 110 
flight hours or at the next maintenance, whichever occurs first, for 
those engines having accumulated between 500 and 600 flight hours 
time-since-new. The reason for the difference is to ensure that the 
compliance requirements for all engines in paragraph (e)(1) above 
are consistent.

[[Page 9965]]

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (g) The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, has the 
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the 
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

Related Information

    (h) Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency AD 2010-0136, 
dated June 30, 2010, and Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH Service 
Bulletin No. TM TAE 125-1010 P1, Revision 2, dated May 26, 2010, for 
related information. Contact Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH, 
Platanenstrasse 14 D-09350, Lichtenstein, Germany, telephone: +49-
37204-696-0; fax: +49-37204-696-55; e-mail: engines.com">info@centurion-engines.com, for a copy of this service information.
    (i) Contact Alan Strom, Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification 
Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New England 
Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: [email protected]; 
telephone (781) 238-7143; fax (781) 238-7199, for more information 
about this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (j) None.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on February 16, 2011.
Peter A. White,
Acting Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-3917 Filed 2-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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